Feeding mechanism for sewing-machines.



W. RUCKSTUHL.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. i2, 1914.

1, 182,71 2. Patented May 9, 1916.

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FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES= APPLICATION EiLED NOV. 12. 1914. 1,182,712. Patented May 9,1916.

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l/VVE/VTOR HIS ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co TTNTTE SALTS ATENT @FFTQE.

WALTER RUGKSTUHL, OF ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW HOME SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

FEEDING MECHANISM: FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER RUCKSTUHL, a citizen of Switzerland, and resident of Orange, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sewing machine feed mechanism of the so-called four motion type, and has for its object to provide an improved feed mechanism of this type that will be simple in construction, capable of convenient and accurate adjustment in varying the length of feed stroke, and operative in all of its adjustments with a minimum degree of and vibration whereby to assure ease and smoothness in its operation.

novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring now to the accompanying draw ings forming part of this specification and in which I have shown only so much of a sewing machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention,Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the bed-plate of a sewing machine embodying my invention, with the shuttle mechanism broken away to give a clearer view of the feed device proper. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the position of certain of the parts with the feed-adjusting lever set for a maximum length of stitch. Fig. 3 is a corresponding view, showing the position of the parts with the feed-adjusting lever set for the minimum length of stitch, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4Eat of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate like parts on the several figures of the drawings.

In the present case I have shown only so much of the frame of the machine as is comprised by the bed-plate thereof, which is in dicated by the reference numeral 1.

The feed device, which as before stated is of the so-called four motion type, comprises the usual toothed or serrated workengaging feed-dog 2 mounted on an arm 3 of a frame 4 which is pivotally connected, as by means of bearing screws 5, 5, with a To this end the invention consists in the pair of vertically arranged rock-arms 6, 6, on a rock-shaft 7, which latter is journaled on bearings 8, 8, in a position lengthwise of the bed-plate as shown.

The frame 4 is supported at its free end, that is, the end which carries the feed-dog, by means of an arm 9 of the frame resting upon a cam 10 on the rotary shuttle or looper drive shaft 11, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. l/Vith this arrangement of parts, the

cam 10 actuates the frame 1 to impart the hanger 1 1 at the under side of the bed-plate and is formed with a forked arm 15 embracing a cam 16 on the drive shaft, from which cam the lever receives a rocking movement. The second arm of said bell-crank lever, indicated at 17, is connected through the medium of a pair of toggle links 18, 18, with a horizontally arranged rock arm 19 on the shaft 7, these toggle links being arranged in substantially right-angular relation to each other as shown. A link 20 connects at one end with the toggle links at their joint and at its opposite end connects with an adjustable fulcrum 21 carried by a so-called feed adjusting lever 22, which latter is mounted on a stationary pivot 23 with its operating end projecting upwardly through a slot in the bed-plate to a position above the latter where it is provided with a clamping-nut 2 1 for coacting with an. arc-plate 25 to secure the lever with its supported fulcrum 21 in adjusted position. With these described connections from the drive shaft 11 to the rock-shaft 7, rocking movement of the lever 12, as imparted thereto from the actuating cam 16, is communicated to the shaft 7 through the connecting toggle links 18, 18, which are controlled in their movement by the connecting link 20 swinging on the fulcrum support 21, the position of which latter determines the eXtent of rocking movement imparted to the rock-shaft 7 and thereby the working stroke of the feed. For instance, with the parts adjusted for a short stroke of the feed, as shown in Fig. 3, in which adjusted position the fulcrum 21 is in substantially a vertical line with the toggle joint, the upper end of the link 20 will move in a substantially horizontal plane and without imparting any substantial movement to the rock-arm 19 and shaft 7 through the connecting toggle link. Upon adjusting the parts for a long stitch, however, as shown in Fig. 2, in which adjusted position the fulcrum 21 has been shifted laterally to bring the link 20 to almost horizontal position, the toggle connecting end of said link will then move in a substantially vertical plane and so effect a maximum movement to the rock-arm 19 and shaft 7, as will be obvious. Any intermediate adjustment of the parts between the maximum adjustments shown will of course effect a corresponding adjustment of feed stroke.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with the feed device and means for imparting vertical movement thereto, of means for imparting horizontal movement to said feed device comprising a rock-shaft and a driveshaft both arranged at the under side of the bed-plate and parallel with each other, the rock-shaft having rock arms one of which is jointed to the feed device and the drive-shaft having an actuating cam, a lever mounted on a stationary pivot below the bed-plate and having operative connection with said cam on the drive-shaft to be rocked thereby, a pair of toggle links connecting said lever with an arm of the rock-shaft,

a feed-adjusting lever, a link connecting at one end with the toggle links at their joint and at its opposite end fulcrumed on said feed-adjusting lever, and means cooperating with the latter to hold same with'its said fulcrum in stationary adjusted position, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with the feed device and means for imparting vertical movement thereto, of means for imparting horizontal movement to said feed device comprising a rockshaft and a drive-shaft both arranged at the under side of the bed-plate and parallel with each other, the rock-shaft having rock arms one of which is jointed to the feed device and the drive-shaft having an actuating cam, a

bell-crank lever mounted on a stationary pivot below the bed-plate and having a forked arm embracing said cam on the drive shaft to be rocked thereby, a pair of toggle links arranged in substantially right-angular relation and connecting the second arm of said bell-crank lever with an arm of the rock-shaft, a feedadjusting lever, a link connecting at one end with the toggle links at their joint and at its opposite end fulcrumed on said feed-adjusting lever, and means cooperating with the latter to hold same with its said fulcrum in stationary adjusted position for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Orange, in the county of Franklin, and State of Massachusetts, this 6th day of November, A. D. 1914.

YVALTER RUCKSTUHL. lVitnesses:

GEORGE H. BEST, EDGAR E. SAMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, D. C. 

